LAKE FOREST, ILL. — Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will sit out this week’s game at Carolina because of a concussion.

Bears spokesman Scott Hagel said Thursday that Cutler was examined by team and independent doctors after practicing on a limited basis the previous day.

Hagel said the doctors “all agreed that participation in practice” went well but felt that sitting out “was the right way to go.” He said Cutler will practice Thursday and Friday, and his status will be re-evaluated early next week.

Cutler was injured in last week’s 17-3 loss to the New York Giants, when he was sacked nine times in the first half. Veteran Todd Collins, who took over to start the second half and left that game with a stinger, will start against the Panthers on Sunday and step into a leadership role at an important point in the season.

“I’m pretty comfortable,” Collins said. “The best way to provide leadership, I think, is to go out there and perform well. That’s the job as the quarterback, to move the ball and score points. That’s what I’m going to try to do to help lead the team.”

Collins said coach Lovie Smith told him late Thursday morning that he would be starting, news that he was expecting to hear.

“Jay went down with a concussion, and usually with concussions, they want you to come back fully ready before you get on the field again,” he said.

This will be the first time Cutler has missed a start due to injury. He had made 57 in a row since Denver turned to him as a rookie in 2006, but he’ll be watching this week after a brutal performance against the Giants that wiped out much of the goodwill created by a 3-0 start.

Coach Lovie Smith has said the Bears started noticing symptoms after the second-to-last play of the second quarter, when Cutler’s head banged the turf while being taken down by Aaron Ross on the Giants’ ninth sack.

In reality, Cutler started taking a beating as soon as he stepped on the field. There was one sack early in the second quarter when Osi Umenyiora ran through tight end Greg Olsen and nailed Cutler from behind, the ball popping out and into the arms of center Olin Kreutz.

Cutler got up and took a few steps toward the wrong sideline before correcting himself.

Soon after, he had what appeared to be a dazed look when the TV cameras showed him sitting on the sideline, and his decision-making was questionable at best. Cutler held onto the ball too long at times and didn’t see open receivers, and wound up taking hit after hit.

Now, the 38-year-old Collins gets another chance.

He took over for the injured Jason Campbell with Washington late in 2007 and led the Redskins to four straight wins to close out that season, but he has not started since then.

“I’ve been around for awhile,” Collins said. “I’ve been around for awhile. It’s a team game, but I look forward to going out there and doing my part, contribute to a victory.”

WASHINGTON — Thirty games into the 82-game NHL season, and nearly six weeks after the Matt Duchene trade, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic discussed the state of his team before Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at the Washington Capitals.